Yesterday, I turned fifty. It doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true. I’ve been told that 50 is the new 30. Not quite sure what that means. I am certain it doesn’t mean I have the body of a thirty-year old. Perhaps it implies that I will live longer. That would be okay. But if it means that I have the mental maturity of a thirty-year old, I think I’ll pass. I only wish I knew at thirty what I know now. Still, I often feel the older I get, the less I know.

I haven’t posted to this blog in a while, and I wish I kept up with it more, but I thought in honor of this milestone, I would post fifty things I have learned thus far in life. Some of the things listed are original, some are paraphrased, and others are borrowed. They are loosely ordered, but all of them reflect the man I am at this point in my life.

I have learned . . .

I am made in God’s image.

My aim is to know myself and be true to who I am.

I should trust my heart, gut, and intuition, in spite of popular opinion.

I must be the man I am, not the man others expect me to be. That is true integrity. Anything less is a lie.

Honesty is the best and only policy.

True love is unconditional.

Everyone wants, needs, and deserves to be loved.

True love is a rare and precious treasure, yet oh so hard to find.

It is better to be hated for what you are, than to be loved for what you are not.

Human chemistry is elusive, undefinable, and irreplaceable.

People give you gifts they want.

Many blessings are disguised.

Travel cures myopia.

Karma is a witch. (my paraphrase)

There are some things you will never understand until they happen to you.

An open mind is a terrible thing not to have.

Big boys don’t cry, but men do. (Thanks, Dr. Phil!)

The most important things in life aren’t things.

Less is more.

Change only comes when courageous people take a stand. If no one speaks out, nothing changes.

First impressions are often dead wrong.

I no longer tell it like it is. I tell it the way I see it.

Speak the truth in love.

Two people can view the same thing and see something totally different. Perception is not reality.

The right to be angry gives you no right to be cruel.

Forgiveness brings freedom.

The older I get, the more liberal I become.

Diversity makes the world a beautiful place.

Tolerance means we put up with diversity. Acceptance means we embrace it.

Apathy kills. Empathy heals.

Grace is truly amazing.

When people show you who they are, believe them! (Thanks, Maya!)

If they’ll do it with you, they’ll do it to you. (Dr. Phil, again.)

Every word that comes across a pulpit is not gospel. (I learned this one the hard way.)

God did not create religion. Man did.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.

Nobody can pray for me like my mama and daddy.

There is no place like my Mama’s table.

Being Nathan’s uncle is my greatest joy.

Family is where I belong. Friends are my family, too.

My colleagues are my heroes. My students are my angels.

I cannot live without books and music.

Autumn in the mountains is one step away from Heaven.

Paraguay is a wonderful place with no reasons why.

To Kill a Mockingbird is the best book ever written and the best movie ever made.

Dogs are really angels in disguise.

Fear not. Do not be afraid. Let not your heart be troubled.

This life ain’t all there is.

Jesus loves me, this I know!

There is so much I don’t understand, and so much I have yet to learn. I hope I never stop learning, and never stop being a seeker of truth. I know there are some things I will have to take on faith. By default, faith indicates there will be unanswered questions. At fifty, I don’t know it all, but I’m grateful for what I’ve learned.

Verse 1
When I think of how He came so far from Glory,
Came and dwelt among the lowly such as I,
To suffer shame and such disgrace,
On Mount Calv’ry take my place,
It’s then I ask myself this question:
Who am I?

Verse 2
When I’m reminded of His words,
“I’ll leave thee never,
Just be true, I’ll give to you a life forever,”
I wonder what I could have done
To deserve God’s only Son
To fight my battles ’til they’re won;
For who am I?

Chorus
Who am I that a King would bleed and die for?
Who am I that He would pray; “Not my will, thine” for
The answer I may never know
Why He ever loved me so,
That to that old rugged cross He’d go,
For who am I?

I’m reading Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. Love her! But more on Anne later. I listened to a podcast interview with Anne earlier this year, and she quoted herself quoting a friend. The quote was so powerful I’ve not forgotten it.

“. . . you can safely assume that you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”

I called my long-time friend and colleague Shelia today to ask for some advice. My female dog Aubrey is 17 years old, and her age is starting to show. Many of her bodily functions are failing, yet she shows no signs of suffering. She still has a light in her eyes, and her tail still wags. Still, I know the inevitable is not too far away. Shelia is the most knowledgeable and experienced dog person I know. I guess what I really wanted was for Shelia to tell me what to do. She couldn’t do that, but she gave me a lot of information and told me that I would know when it was time to let Aubrey go.

Shelia is also one of the most intuitive people I know. Our phone conversation ended with a discussion of some unique spiritual experiences we have had that some people might not believe nor understand. Shelia shared one recent experience that might make the average listener incredulous, but I’ve known Shelia long enough to know that if she said it happened, then it happened.

Before we said goodbye, several quotes started popping into my head. I shared them with Shelia, and now I share them with you . . . .

We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

You’ve heard it said, “I’ll have to see it to believe it,” but perhaps you’ll have to believe it to see it.

—paraphrased from an NBC Dateline special

If there were no unanswered questions there would be no need for faith.